A group of United States senators has introduced a bill that would honor baseball legend Larry Doby, who helped integrate Major League Baseball when he became the American League's first African-American player in 1947, with a Congressional Gold Medal for his career and contributions to the civil rights movement.
This year will mark the 70th anniversary of Doby's Major League debut for the Indians on July 5, 1947. Doby would go on to become a seven-time All-Star, a 1948 World Series champion and a Hall of Famer, inducted into Cooperstown in 1998.
"Larry Doby seldom receives credit for his role in integrating all of professional baseball and it's past time to honor his contributions to both civil rights and America's game," Ohio senator Sherrod Brown said in a statement.